LONDON (Reuters) - A British teenage cancer sufferer who
raised more than 3 million pounds ($5 million) for charity after
his fundraising campaign went viral on social media has died,
his family said on Wednesday.

Stephen Sutton, 19, died in his sleep on Wednesday morning,
his mother Jane said on Facebook.

Sutton, who was first diagnosed with bowel cancer four years
ago, raised the money for the Teenage Cancer Trust charity and
won the support of numerous celebrities and politicians,
including Prime Minister David Cameron.

"My heart is bursting with pride but breaking with pain for
my courageous, selfless, inspirational son who passed away
peacefully in his sleep," Jane Sutton wrote to her son's 900,000
followers on Facebook.

Sutton originally set a 10,000-pound fundraising target
after being told his cancer was terminal in 2012. However he
received over 100,000 public donations and raised his target to
1 million pounds after a final "goodbye" message he posted on
Facebook went viral.

"It's a final thumbs up from me," the teenager wrote
alongside what he thought was a last picture of himself in a
hospital bed.

"I've done well to blag things as well as I have up till
now, but unfortunately I think this is just one hurdle too far."

News of Sutton's plight quickly spread and celebrities
including British actor and comedian Stephen Fry and music mogul
Simon Cowell gave their support.

Cameron wrote on Twitter: "I am deeply saddened to hear that
Stephen Sutton has died. His spirit, bravery and fundraising for
cancer research were all an inspiration."

Sutton was discharged from the hospital at the beginning of
May after his health improved but his family said on Tuesday
that his condition had deteriorated and he was struggling to
breathe.

Speaking about the money he had raised, he once told the
BBC: "I don't actually do what I do for recognition. I love nice
comments but I do what I do because I find the best way to help
myself is to help others.

"I'm proud of the feeling I get just by raising all this
money," he added.